Overcoming The Problem of Lack of Attention of Play Group Children in The Classroom At Kids Talent.

(1)

i Maranatha Christian University

ABSTRACT

Tugas Akhir ini dibuat untuk melengkapi syarat kelulusan di program DIII Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Kristen Maranatha, Bandung.

Dalam Tugas Akhir ini,saya mencoba menganalisis anak-anak yang kurang dapat berkonsentrasi saat mengikuti pelajaran. Masalah ini saya temukan dalam program magang saya sebagai seorang asisten guru Play Group di Kids Talent. Saya menganalisis beberapa faktor penyebab dan dampak yang berkaitan dengan masalah yang saya perhatikan melalui observasi dan pengalaman saya selama melakukan program magang.

Anak yang sulit berkonsentrasi saat proses belajar mengajar berlangsung dapat disebabkan oleh beberapa faktor, di antaranya cara guru mengajar terlalu monoton, pemberian materi pelajaran yang terlalu sulit, dan adanya anak yang tidak dapat berkonsentrasi di kelas. Hal tersebut dapat

menyebabkan hilangnya perhatian anak saat belajar di kelas. Permasalahan tersebut akan menimbulkan dampak bagi anak, seperti anak tidak dapat mengingat pelajaran yang diberikan oleh guru sehingga mereka akan mengalami kesulitan saat akan naik ke tingkat yang lebih tinggi. Guru juga harus meluangkan waktu lebih setelah selesai mengajar untuk

mempersiapkan aktifitas keesokan harinya.

(2)

Maranatha Christian University

iv

Children in the Classroom at Kids Talent ” because it is an interesting problem that I found when I did my internship at Kids Talent, and I desire to find solutions to this problem. When I became an assistant teacher in play Group at Kids Talent, I had to conduct observations of the children. There were sixteen children 3-4 years old in the class. Them were busy doing their work when I observed some of the classroom lessons, while the others were just sitting. They ignored the teacher and did not do any work. If this problem was not handled well, they could not learn effectively. To be able to solve this problem, I tried to explore some solutions to help the children have better attention in the classroom.

In this term paper, I discuss the causes and the effects of this problem and I also suggest potential solutions to solve the problem that I had observed during my internship in order that the play group children can maintain better attention in the classroom.

B. Identification of the Problem

The problems that I want to discuss in this term paper are as follows :  Why is it difficult for the play group children at Kids Talent to keep their

attention during class?

 How does lack of attention of the play group children at Kids Talent

(6)

 How can the teacher help the play group children to keep their

attention during the class?

C. Objectives and Benefits of the Study

The objective of writing this term paper is to clarify the causes of play group children losing their attention in the classroom at Kids Talent, to identify the effects of the problem that children cannot keep their attention during the lesson in class, and also to find solutions that can improve children’s attention in the classroom. The teachers at Kids Talent could use the suggested

solutions during the teaching-learning process.

There are several benefits of writing this term paper for the Kids Talent Institution, especially for the teachers there. The teachers at Kids Talent will find some useful information on how to help the children keep their attention in the classroom. Teachers can also apply the best solutions to overcome the children’s lack of attention during the teaching-learning process.

This term paper can also help me, if I am teaching in a play group in the future to gain ideas about how to handle the children thus, they have better attention in the classroom.

This paper is also useful for the students who are studying to be teachers of English for small children; thus, they will have more understanding about this problem of the lack of children’s attention in a play group class. They will

(7)

D. Description of the Institution

Kids Talent International Preschool and Kindergarten is one of the English educational institutions established in Bandung. Mr. Yudi, Mr. Sandy and Mrs. Johan established Kids Talent on July 11, 2004, located at Taman Kopo Indah II. At the beginning there was only one Nursery class, with two children. Later in the same year, the play group class was opened, with eight children. In the process of time, the number of children increased. In 2005 the Toddler class was opened with four children, then in 2007 the K1 class was opened, with four children. Lastly, K2 was opened in 2008, with five children. Kids Talent currently has 73 children.

The lowest level at Kids Talent is Toddler, for children 1-2 years old. The second is Nursery, for 2-3 year old children. The third is play group, for children 3-4 years old. Next is K1, for children 4-5 years old, and the last is K2, for 5-6 year old children.

As written on the entrance gate, their vision and mission is for the children to build their character, explore their potential and to develop their

performance.

Teachers not only teach the children but they also give a report of children’s learning ability to their parents. Teachers also communicate with

parents about the children’s development skills and their behavior in the

(8)

E. Method of the Study

The method of the study that I use to get the data for this term paper is my internship journal, based on my observation and teaching experience during two months internship at Kids Talent. In my observation, including my own teaching experience during the internship, I observed the children’s ability and their behavior during the lessons. I wrote down in my internship journal all the activities given by the teachers, including myself, and the problems that I found.

I did library research by reading some books and articles to get some suitable theories about how to help preschool children keep their attention during the learning-process. Besides this, I also browsed some theories from the Internet to support my statements.

F. Limitation of the Study

In my term paper, I limit my research to the Play Group children at KT who cannot keep their attention during class, which is half of the class. My

(9)

G. Organization of the Term Paper

(10)

16 Maranatha Christian University

CHAPTER IV

CONCLUSION

Children at the age of three and four always like something that is

interesting around them. Wei Yin Wong (2) states that play group should be a fun experience. Providing interesting and fun activities in play group is

needed for children to enjoy play group. “Overcoming the Problem of Lack of Attention of the Play Group Children in the Classroom at Kids Talent” is the problem that I found while doing my internship. The problem is caused by the teacher teaching in a monotonous way, having five children with Attention Deficit Disorder, and having the material that is too easy or too hard. This causes the children not to remember the lessons that was given by the teacher. It is also possible that the children will have some difficulties to go into the next grade. Then, the teacher has to work overtime to prepare more activities which are suitable for the children and that will keep their attention in the classroom.

(11)

Instructions or do the tasks well. The third solution is teacher uses some attention-getting tricks to bring back children attention.

After analyzing the causes and effects of the three potential solutions, I would like to choose the best solutions to handle the problem of children who cannot keep their attention on the teacher in the classroom at Kids Talent. The combination between using teaching aids in the learning process and giving the children some rewards if they follow the instructions or do the tasks well become my chosen solutions to solve the problem of play group children at Kids Talent losing their attention in the class. The explanation of my

chosen solution will be described in the following paragraphs.

Teacher who use teaching aids make the learning process more fun while applying the material to the children, which causes children to be more

enthusiastic to learn. And the teacher can give the material more easily when she uses teaching aids. Telling the children that they will be given some rewards if they follow the instructions or do the tasks well also becomes one of the chosen solutions to get children’s attention back. Giving some rewards can make the children more focus in the class, because in their mind, if they follow the instructions or do the tasks given by the teacher, they know the teacher will give a reward to them.

In my opinion, the combination of using teaching aids to explain the

material to the children and giving some rewards if they follow the instructions or do the tasks well can be more effective to keep children’s attention at Kids

(12)

18 Maranatha Christian University more creatively and have a high level of imagination to keep children’s

(13)

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Printed Sources

Johnson, Lou Anne. Teaching Outside the Box : How To Grab Your students by Their Brains. San Fransisco: MarketStreet, 2008. Olivia, Femi. Membantu Anak Punya Ingatan Super. Jakarta: gramedia,

2007.

Electronic Sources

Andersen, Marcy. “Teaching Aidsin the Classroom.” ehow.com. 1999.25

March 2010 <http://www.ehow.com/way_5169433_teaching-aids- classroom.html>.

“Attention Deficit Disorder.” keepkidshealthy.com. 5 August 2004. 29

March 2010

<http://www/keekidshealthy.com/welcome/conditions/adhd.html>.

Bells, Lisa. “Teaching Tips: How to Gain kid’s Attention.” helium.com.

2002. 14 June 2010 <http://www.helium.com/items/967175-teaching-tips-how-to-gain-kids-attention>.

Boyer, Ernest. “Crisis in the Classroom.” Effective Teaching 1990. 27

March 2010 <http://www.cidde.pitt.edu/ta/ta_handbook/chapter-1.htm>.

(14)

march 2010 <http://www.ehow.com/how_2063518_get-elementary- students-pay-attention.html>.

Uchida, Helene J. “Music in the English Classroom.” eltnews.com. April

2003. 25 march 2010

<http://www.eltnews.com/features/kids_world/2003/04/music_in_the_en glish_classroom.html>.

Yin Wong, Wei. “Having Fun in Playgroups : Great ideas to Make

PlayGroups Exciting for Kids.” suite101.com. 28 September 2008. 14 June 2010 <http://parent-child-

Overcoming The Problem of Lack of Attention of Play Group Children in The Classroom At Kids Talent.

ABSTRACT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT………..

.i

DECLARATION OF ORIGINALITY……….

.ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………

.iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS………iv

CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION……….

1-6

CHAPTER I

I. PROBLEM ANALYSIS……….7

-10

CHAPTER I

II. POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS………...11

-15

CHAP

TER IV. CONCLUSION………..16

-17

BIBLIOGRAPHY

APPENDIX:

APPENDIX A

FLOWCHART

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

B. Identification of the Problem

C. Objectives and Benefits of the Study

D. Description of the Institution

E. Method of the Study

F. Limitation of the Study

G. Organization of the Term Paper

CHAPTER IV

CONCLUSION

BIBLIOGRAPHY